48 Hours
by Bonitas
Summary: I fell into someone’s outstretched arms, my last thought being; ‘Edward will find me’ as I was loaded into the back of a truck, the rain washing our scent away. Bella is kidnapped, and now the Cullens must find her in 48 hours, or risk losing her forever.
1. Prologue 0000 Hours Missing

**Blanket Disclaimer** Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse are not mine; they belong solely to Stephanie Meyer and her publishing company. I don't even own the idea for this story; I am simply expanding on Stephanie's brilliant work. Nor am I profiting monetarily for the creation of this story. That being said, Edward Cullen and Jasper Whitlock are my addictions. Oh, along with James Potter, but that's in the wrong category here :)

**Blanket Warning** Later chapters will be rated **M** for obvious reasons; (self) abuse, the want/need to hurt/kill and angst. If this is inappropriate for some readers because of their age and/or mentality, you have been warned.

Flames are fine; if they're warranted, I'll take it into account and try to improve. If they're unwarranted, I will mock you… publicly if I'm in a sardonic mood. You have been warned about that, too.

* * *

**Prologue – 00.00 Hours Missing  
**_Bella's point of view

* * *

_

"You know, I'm fully expecting you to come back from Seattle with new clothes, right?" Alice said, hands on her hips as she eyed the plain khaki pants and semi-loose green tee I was wearing. I'd been invited to go shopping with Angela in Seattle, and since this was the weekend that the Cullens were all hunting, I'd jumped at the chance to get out. It was always hardest when they hunted, and usually Alice stayed behind to keep me company, but it had already been too long for her to be in this close proximity with me for the whole weekend, especially alone, with no one there to ground her.

I rolled my eyes at her scrutiny, "I know." Beside me, Edward laughed and I unconsciously leaned into him. As if sensing my discomfort, he kissed my temple softly and I sighed at the contact. I hated being away from him, but this was important – he could kill me.

"It's only two days, Bella." You know, I thought it was Jasper who could sense your emotions… so how did Edward get so good at reading me? I know it hurt him to be away from me just as much as it did me to be away from him, but I can't help but be a little bit selfish right now. Without Angela's shopping trip, I think I would go crazy.

I sighed and pressed my face into his cold chest, even as he wrapped his arms around me. "I know," I whispered, "I'm just being silly."

His arms tightened and he rested his chin on the top of my head; a perfect fit. "It's not silly, but it's only two days. We've done it before." Of course we'd done it before; a hundred, possibly a thousand times before. But that didn't make it any easier, especially as we'd only returned from Italy about four months ago.

I sighed, and he probably correctly interpreted it as 'I know, but I really don't care right now'. "Angela will be here soon," I muttered, not actually wanting to leave before them, knowing they'd still be in Forks for a while longer. She was picking me up at my house and we were going together in her dad's car – one that went faster, and made much less noise; something less conspicuous to drive in a big city.

Edward nodded and picked me up from his lap, setting me down on my feet as he stood up. Alice smiled at me encouragingly as we all headed out the door, but I couldn't bring myself to smile back. Sure, I was excited to have a girls' night with Angela, but I was only agreeing to one night; _not_ the whole weekend. I was also going to have to pretend to be fine the whole weekend, just so Charlie won't think I've gone off the deep end again and so Angela won't think I hate her. Wow, the complications this one whole weekend involves; the suspense. It's killing me. Really.

As we reached the bottom of the staircase a horn honked outside; I cringed and inwardly cursed Angela's perfect timing. Sighing, I turned back to the Cullens and muttered, "I guess that's me." Alice laughed as Edward scooped me up, pressing his lips against mine to which I eagerly responded to. His lips were cold, as always, but I don't think I'd like it any other way if given the choice now.

A cough behind us sounded as Charlie entered the room, "Have fun, Bells." He smiled, not-so-subtlely elbowing Edward out of the way to make room for his own hug.

"I will," I grinned, amused at Charlie's antics. We all stepped outside and I gave Alice a hug goodbye and Edward a final hug and kiss – to which Charlie pointedly stared at – before rushing off to Angela's father's shiny new _Peugeot_. Opening the door and tossing the purse I'd grabbed quickly upon my exit onto the seat, I quickly slid in and shut the door behind me, savouring that 'new car' smell. "Hey, Angela," I laughed, now genuinely excited for my shopping trip.

"Hey, Bella, aren't you ready yet?" Angela grinned, her face mirroring mine with her smile. She tossed her brown hair, which she'd kept loose today, over one shoulder and turned down the song that was currently vibrating through the seats.

Raising my eyebrows, I sniffed and muttered, with as much mock-disdain as I could muster, "As ready as I'll ever be for a day _shopping_," – I used the word with the equivalent of _disease_ – "but at least it beats out staying home and waiting for the Cullens to come back from camping." I could tell she'd noticed the slight bitterness in my tone, but like always, she declined to comment. Revving up the engine and putting it into gear, Angela backed out of my driveway and I gave one last wave to the Cullens and my father before we were completely out of sight range.

"Why don't you ever go with them?" At my raised eyebrows, she elaborated. "Why don't you ever go with them – you know – camping. I mean, I know you don't enjoy the outdoors, Bella," what an understatement, "But then you wouldn't have to miss Edward for the whole weekend."

They never really prepare you for this, you know. How do you tell one of your best friends that you can't go camping with your boyfriend because his version of 'camping' includes mauling bears and mountain lions? There should be some sort of class for this; like Sex Ed, only more violent and less graphic. Without skipping a beat, I managed to mutter, "Because it's more like a family outing. Esme and Carlisle like me well enough, but its family time… like a family dinner would be for the rest of us mere mortals." Family dinner… well, that was a new way to put his hunting. I'd make a note to mention it to him later.

Using my tone of voice as an indicator of my souring mood, Angela wisely let the subject drop. I looked out the window at the passing trees, enjoying the scenery and letting the music wash over me. '_One by one_ _hollow heroes separate_ _as they run_. _You're so cold; keep your __hand in mine._' I hummed along with the beat, closing my eyes softly. '_Don't you cry__in this land of make-believe, dead and dry.__You're so cold but you__ f__eel alive__Lay your hand on me one last time_.'

The trip to Seattle was meant to be a long one, so I settled in and made myself comfortable. "Can I change the song?" I looked over at Angela, who was looking at me questioningly in between brief moments when she'd look at the road to make sure everything was running smoothly.

"Yea, if you want. It's almost over anyway." I shrugged and looked out the window again, noting the darkening skies. "It looks like it's going to rain…" I muttered, shaking my head.

Angela took her eyes off the road and glimpsed upwards. "The weather channel did mention light storms, but those clouds are getting pretty gray. I'd turn around if we hadn't gone so far already…"

"We'll make it quick," I promised, "And take a longer trip some other time." Preferably with Alice and Edward in tow, so I wouldn't be so nervous without them near me. After Italy, I honestly don't think I could bear it if Edward was away from me for more than one weekend; my dependence on him unnerved me slightly, but I was comforted by the fact that he felt the same way.

Angela nodded, "I think we'll have to. Maybe we should limit our trip to an hour in Seattle and back? Or maybe even less, if it starts lightening. I really don't want to be on the roads then…"

I looked at the clouds again and shook my head, "This storm isn't going to hit for awhile; we'll make that hour last. Hey, do you think we could stop at a Starbucks on our way back?"

"I think there might be one if we take that Interstate off Weber Street."

My mouth watered in anticipation, "Yumm," I moaned, "I haven't had a good Starbucks in so long!"

Angela laughed, "Oh you poor thing. The trauma you must be going through…"

Snorting, I turned to face her. "Oh hush you; when I lived in Phoenix, I used to have Starbucks _at least_ once a day; now I'm limited to whenever we get to Seattle. I'm going through withdrawal, I tell you!" I tilted my head in a dramatic fashion, pressing the back of my hand to my forehead in a classic damsel-in-distress pose. Angela's laughter increased and grinning, I said, "Oh shut up; aren't you meant to be keeping watch on the road, anyway?" I pouted in mock-hurt.

We reached our first stop; a store that we both liked called _Identity_. The little bell rang as I opened the door, holding it for Angela as she passed me. It was cool inside; the AC still blew strong and it hit us directly as we entered the store, making me shiver and encircle my arms around my waist. Angela led me to an aisle that looked promising, and we both separated slightly to scan through the racks. I held up a baggy black tee that read 'your dad thinks I'm hot' in capital white letters and laughingly showed it to Angela.

She wrinkled her nose with distaste, "Well, to each his own…"

I gasped, "Not for me! Although I wonder what Edward's reaction would be if I wore it to his house… or, for that matter, Carlisle's." I mulled the thought over and actually considered buying it just to have a nice laugh over it later when I saw the price on the tag. There was no way I'd pay forty dollars on a shirt I'd only wear once.

Groaning, Angela held up another shirt that read, 'Notice: Will Trade Sister for Video Games'. "Who would _buy_ this?" She demanded, exasperated. Obviously Angela had never met people with sibling issues; she never ceased to amaze me with her only-child-mind-frame. I shook my head, not really wanting to explain to her that plenty of people would buy it and shrugged.

We leafed through the appointed aisle; Angela finding a cute orange top that somehow went well with her complexion – I'd always thought orange never went with _anyone's_ complexion, until now – and with me finding nothing. As Angela paid for her shirt with her club card, I debated whether I wanted to buy those pink flip-flops on sale, but decided against it; with all the rain in Forks, where would I wear them? I had enough anyway, besides, when I wore flip-flops, I fell a lot more often… maybe too much flop for me, but I didn't want to wear anything that highlighted the amount of times I topple over.

We left the store after that, not wanting to waste too much time in only one place and, after noticing we'd spent half an hour there, decided to go to one last shop before Starbucks and home. I glanced up uneasily, the clouds where darker now, and I'd never really gotten over my irrational fear of storms. Angela, noticing my glance, muttered darkly something that sounded like 'dumb weather channel man'.

Not really sure where we'd want to go next, we simply decided to go on foot down the select street, where an array of shops were located with various selling products. Angela parked the car in a nearby parking lot, and I met her up by the stop sign on the corner of the road. We walked the length of the road, finally, because we were pressed for time, heading into a shop called _Smiley's Store of Smiles_. Sure, it sounded creepy, but it was either that or just go straight to Starbucks; frankly, I think the latter was the better option, but Angela insisted that we may as well make full use of our intended hour.

The store was dark, contradicting its name, but I was saved from having to look around by the sound of thunder rumbling in the distance. Sure enough, as I turned to look out the window, it had already started to sprinkle; the water droplets fast becoming a steady sheet of water; since when did freak rainfalls occur in Seattle? I shook myself and pulled on Angela's arm, "Maybe we should go back to the car," thunder rumbled again, sounding closer now, "I can always get Starbucks another time… I'm not quite sure I want it now, anyways…"

Angela frantically nodded and we headed out of the store into the now-heavy rainfall. "Let's run to the car!" Angela half-shouted, trying to make herself heard over the sound of water falling. I nodded frantically and we took off, our feet pounding the pavement as we tried our best to avoid the puddles that were forming. Water got into my eyes and I stopped quickly, trying to wipe them so I could see. By the time I was done, Angela had disappeared.

"Angela?" I strained my eyes through the sheets of water, but still couldn't even see a shadow of her. "Crap," I muttered, and went under the gazebo of a nearby shop. Taking out my cell, I opened the contacts list and hit '_A_'. Scrolling down to Angela's name, I hit the picture of the green phone and put my cell up to my ear. "Pick up, pick up!" I said, agitated, with my teeth chattering. Before I could say much more however, something heavy hit my head and I felt something damp pressing against my lips and nose, and I tasted copper in my mouth.

I fell into someone's outstretched arms, my last thought being; '_Edward will find me_' as I was loaded into the back of a truck, the rain washing our scent away.

* * *

**Note:** Each chapter is not an hour difference. Some are, but others may skip up to four hours or more. Also, each chapter is not in the same point of view, so if you're planning on following my story I'd recommend checking how many hours she's been missing and whose point of view it is before reading the actual chapter. Thanks a bunch, and hope you like it! 

The song mentioned is _So Cold_ by _Breaking Benjamin_.

Also, I'd like to point out that this is just a test. If I see that I have fifty million hits, but only one review, I'm obviously not going to update. More reviews equals faster updates, and that's pretty much how I roll. I am a review whore, take it how you will.

Bonnie -xx-


	2. Chp 1 0400 Hours Missing

**Blanket Disclaimer** Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse are not mine; they belong solely to Stephanie Meyer and her publishing company. I don't even own the idea for this story; I am simply expanding on Stephanie's brilliant work. Nor am I profiting monetarily for the creation of this story. That being said, Edward Cullen and Jasper Whitlock are my addictions. Oh, along with James Potter, but that's in the wrong category here :)

**Blanket Warning** Later chapters will be rated **M** for obvious reasons; (self) abuse, the want/need to hurt/kill and angst. If this is inappropriate for some readers because of their age and/or mentality, you have been warned.

Flames are fine; if they're warranted, I'll take it into account and try to improve. If they're unwarranted, I will mock you… publicly if I'm in a sardonic mood. You have been warned about that, too.

* * *

**Chapter One – 4.00 Hours Missing  
**_Edward's point of view; Bella's point of view

* * *

_

E

"_Angela?"_ _Bella cried, trails of water streaming down her face. She peered intently through the rain, but obviously could not find her friend because she quickly muttered a "Crap!" Running to hide under a gazebo, she began to mess with her phone, oblivious of the tall, dark man behind her. He hit her first with his fist and she fell, momentarily stunned, into his arms as he pressed a cloth to her mouth and nose. She was going limp even as they hastily stuffed her in the back of the truck, her mouth forming the word '-ward'._

Muttering an explicative, I clenched my fists as I repeated the vision that Alice had received about four hours ago. We were in Seattle now, the rain having finally eased up, with Alice standing outside that accurséd _Smiley's Shop of Smiles_, hoping to get a scent. I doubted that would be the case because, excluding Bella's very strong trail _in_ the shop, the rain had washed all other traces of her away. Despite my sensitive pull to her scent, it was so minor that I somehow wondered if I was only imagining it.

The moment that Alice had tensed, I knew she'd seen something, and by the horrified expression on her face, I knew something had gone wrong with Bella. As I played her vision over and over again in my mind, I could feel the icy reality set in – Bella had been taken and I didn't know who did it, or why. The hunt had obviously been cancelled, as I was in no shape or mood to even contemplate wasting all that time. The others, naturally, agreed to put it off to help, but I knew it wouldn't be much longer before we all – myself included – would have to take some time to hunt, or proceed to murder half of Forks in order to satisfy our animalistic nature.

"Edward, I can't trace her – it's like she wasn't even here." Emmett said, his voice as low as it could be. Rosalie came up behind him and put a hand on his arm to comfort him, all the while shaking her head at me, letting me know she couldn't find her either. Looking at Esme and Carlisle, Alice and Jasper, I didn't even need to hear their thoughts to figure out that none of them could smell her either.

I sighed, the unneeded breath flowing out of me even as my throat closed. "I can't give up," my own voice sounded weird to me, as though I was human and had a cold, "I will find her." This time I knew I sounded more confidant; my voice was stronger and louder – a passing man turned to stare at me briefly before continuing on down the sidewalk.

_We're all here for you, Edward._

_No one suggested that we stop looking._

The sound of both my adoptive parents filled my head as both Esme and Carlisle, respectively, whispered thoughts of encouragement at me. I smiled gratefully at them, knowing that we were all worried and it wasn't solely my fear I was picking up on. Looking at Jasper, I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes as he twitched from the intensity of all our combined emotions. His eyes met mine and he glared at me; I knew he'd picked up on my smugness.

_Shut up._

Turning away from him, I ran a hand through my copper-coloured hair and glanced down the street. Her scent was obviously stronger in and around both the shops they'd visited in – even Angela's car, once we'd found it, barely had a trace of Bella on it with the exception of the interior; the only part untouched by the rain. Turning to Alice, I muttered, "Anything yet?"

_Bella, screaming out in pain, her voice carrying through a dark room, tears splashing down her cheeks that seemed paler than normal with fright…_

_Bella, her lifeless eyes staring at me, glassy and stark compared to their usual vibrancy, gashes down her bare chest and bruises on every visible bit of skin…_

_Bella, being raped, her face tensed in anguish, her knuckles white with the force that she clenched her fists with._

_Bella, her cheek spilling blood from where a knife was slashing it… too much blood on her cheeks, not enough in them._

_Bella, locked alone with Angela in the dark. "Edward," She whispered, "Don't leave me; don't forget about me. Edward, please…" Her voice barren, as though she'd already given up and I was too late..._

Alice shook her head as those images played in my mind, through her. "No, I'm just getting snatches. None of it looks very good, but I suppose the good thing is that they don't know what to do with her yet."

"Yet." I muttered darkly, my voice hard and my gaze steely as I scrutinized Alice's sombre expression.

_It's not my fault._

Alice sounded indignant, as she should have. "I know, and I'm sorry," I sighed, running a hand through my hair again, hoping this wasn't going to become a habit.

_Nor is it yours._

Everyone around us fidgeted and kept their gaze elsewhere, guessing correctly what we were talking about. "Of that, I'm not so sure." Alice reached out and gripped my forearm with her small hand. She looked at me appealingly, but I refused to even touch her mind. Pulling my arm out of her reach and stepping away, I began to walk up the road, calling out over my shoulder, "I'm going to keep trying; you can go and hunt and then I'll go once you're back. One of us has to keep looking at all times."

_We aren't going to find anything…_

_Good luck! We'll be quick._

_I'll stay, I'm not as thirsty._

_We'll be fast, keep the hunting close so we don't waste any time._

_We _will_ find her, Edward. Don't lose hope._

_Be strong, Edward. She won't get very far._

My family's thoughts hit me with force, and I knew that they meant what they'd said, with the exception of Rose. Rosalie's negativity, though painful, could not be discredited – if we hadn't caught a scent yet, there was hardly any chance that we would. But giving up meant Bella's death, and she was one thing I was neither ready, nor willing, to lose. Alice, having volunteered to wait and hunt with me, caught up with me and deeply inhaled the early evening air. I raised my eyebrows at her and she shook her head; the smell wasn't any stronger over here.

Letting out a strangled sob, I resigned myself to the fact that her scent wasn't going to randomly appear after hours of being dormant, and entered the first shop they'd gone to – a clothing store. Walking straight up to the cashier, I ignored all attempt at the formalities and said, in the sweetest tone I could come up with under the circumstances, "Do you remember two girls in here this afternoon?"

The cashier in question, a dark skinned girl that looked around twenty, looked up from the computer game she'd been playing, her green-tinted eyes flashing with interest as she noticed us. _Wow._ As often as we get that, it has a profound habit of annoying me. I repeated my question and the girl snapped her gum, irritating me further. "No," she drawled in a thick, Southern accent. I assumed she might be from Tennessee; her name tag read Lauren.

"No?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

"No, as in I don't remember 'em. We get a lot of girls come in here, especially with our sales startin' and all." She leaned in and smiled secretively, obviously flirting. I forced myself to flirt back, leaning in as well and grinning. When she next spoke, Lauren's voice was husky and she looked at me under heavy-lidded eyes, "Maybe if you describe 'em to me…?"

I winked at her and leaned in, making sure I knew she'd gotten my scent – Bella always said that my smell was irresistible and could get me anything I wanted. "She was about your height-" I eyed her up and noticed she about a couple inches taller than my Bella, but a human wouldn't notice such things upfront, "-she has brown eyes, and dark brown hair that reaches just below her shoulders and really pale skin. Goes by Bella." I was tempted to add in, 'extremely beautiful' but I changed my mind. My words were quick, wanting to get them out as quickly as possible to ensure that no mistakes were made.

Alice quickly cut in, "She was also travelling with a friend; Angela – shorter than Bella, with lighter brown hair and conservative clothes. Maybe they bought something?"

_He must like his girls short_, Lauren thought, eyeing Alice as she spoke.

"This is my sister, Alice," I gestured to Alice with a tilt of my head, never taking my eyes off Lauren's face. It was imperative that Lauren get me any information I might want, and for that, I needed her to believe I was single and interested. It must have worked, because the icy demeanour that Lauren had taken when Alice spoke quickly melted and she flashed me another grin.

"Well, I don't remember 'em, but if they bought something with a card then I'll find 'em. What's their names again?" Lauren straightened up and exited the game she'd been playing; by the looks of it, some old Neopets game involving a lot of blocks.

I nodded my head, thanking her with that action instead of words. "Isabella Swan and Angela Weber."

It felt like forever – though the rational part of my brain told me it had only been a few minutes – before she finally said, "Ok, I didn't get any results for that Isabella girl, but I did get something on that Angela one. Angela bought a small orange tank top at exactly one-eighteen PM today. I hadn't been working register then – that was Macy's time – so I guess that's why I didn't remember 'em." She shrugged as if in apology.

We thanked her for her time, and left the store. "That didn't prove anything," I muttered to Alice, my voice low.

"No, nothing we didn't already know – they were here. But watching you shamelessly flirt was fun." Alice laughed, the sound tinkling and far too happy than it should be right now.

Snorting, I rolled my eyes and we walked back to that damn _Smiley's_ shop. "I was not shamelessly flirting," I said, sniffing.

"You most definitely were!" Alice giggled, laughing. "Just accept it, Mr. Cullen, you sold your soul back there."

I tensed, this subject never having been an easy one for me and under the circumstances I don't think I could've handled it. Instead of answering, I just pushed open the door to the damn store and held it open for her. The moment the door was open, Bella's familiar scent, along with Angela's and a million other unfamiliar ones, hit me. I ran my tongue along my teeth and resigned myself that the time to hunt was coming too near. Under normal circumstances, I could take it, but this time too many emotions were running high with Bella's disappearance.

_Smiley's Store of Smiles_ proved to be unhelpful – not only was the cashier an elderly man whose likelihood of smiling was about as much as Rosalie getting her hair styled in thick dreadlocks – but they didn't have an updated system like _Identity_ did, and couldn't trace what their clients bought. If Bella and Angela had bought something here, we'd never know short of asking them personally – and I intended to do just that.

* * *

B

I struggled to move, my movements slow and sluggish, but found that I couldn't because my hands were bound together. Opening my eyes, I noticed Angela sitting across from me, eyes wide with fear, bound and gagged like I was. My mouth tasted disgusting, and that after-taste of copper was still there, along with what felt like a thick coat of grime along my teeth. I tried to sit up straighter, but my head pounded painfully in protest.

Looking around the room, I noticed that it looked filthy, like some old warehouse that Hollywood always showed the hostages being taken captive in during some old mafia movie. There were no windows, and a single lightbulb hung from the ceiling, giving the room an eerie, sinister light. The floors had a healthy coat of filth on it and there was nothing to indicate a door or any form of furniture. Just a bare, dirty room filled with two scared girls.

I heard a sound behind me and belatedly realized that the door had been behind me. Footsteps sounded and, as I looked to the now-crying form of Angela, I turned my head slightly to see my attacker. My breath caught and the cloth gagging me muffled the scream that tore my lips. A man's deep laugh was heard, and a face, scarred and pale came within inches of mine.

"Hello, doll. We're in for a little fun tonight, aren't we?"

* * *

Thanks to all my lovely reviewers! Hope this was worth the wait, guys. And sorry it took a bit of time, my laziness was put to the test. ;) Also, I recently had uploading issues. :D Shot.

Bonnie –xx–


	3. Chp 2 0600 Hours Missing

**Blanket Disclaimer** Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse are not mine; they belong solely to Stephanie Meyer and her publishing company. I don't even own the idea for this story; I am simply expanding on Stephanie's brilliant work. Nor am I profiting monetarily for the creation of this story. That being said, Edward Cullen and Jasper Whitlock are my addictions. Oh, along with James Potter, but that's in the wrong category here :)

**Blanket Warning** Later chapters will be rated **M** for obvious reasons; (self) abuse, the want/need to hurt/kill and angst. If this is inappropriate for some readers because of their age and/or mentality, you have been warned.

Flames are fine; if they're warranted, I'll take it into account and try to improve. If they're unwarranted, I will mock you… publicly if I'm in a sardonic mood. You have been warned about that, too.

* * *

**Chapter Two – 06.00 Hours Missing  
**_Edward's point of view

* * *

_

After two more hours of searching, Alice and I had gone back home, with me fervently repeating that we were not giving up, but merely changing our tactics. Rolling her eyes as I repeated it again, Alice sat down roughly on the couch and said, "I _know_ we're not giving up, Edward! Or do you think you're the only one that cares? You're going through a hard time, _I_ am too! She's the first friend outside our family – besides Tanya and her coven – that I was allowed to have!"

_She's important to all of us,_ she continued mentally, in a softer tone,_ but in different ways. We all love her and we aren't going to give up and let her die._ I flinched when she said 'die', but she ignored me. _Please Edward, calm down. No one is going to find her with you as a raving lunatic; we need to think rationally._

Sighing, I muttered, "I hate it when you're right before I am."

She grinned impishly, back to her usual self immediately. "Well, someone had to go all Carlisle on your butt. You weren't going to calm down on your own, and without Jasper, I had to improvise." She sniffed, as though improvisation were exceptionally difficult. "I will never again take him for granted."

_You know she won't stick to that._

We turned, both of us catching our family's scent at the same time. I saw Jasper slide in next to Alice, grinning slyly at her while she remained aloof, while everyone else made themselves comfortable in our living room. I looked at Carlisle and raised my eyebrow at him questioningly; tilting my head slightly to the side.

My adoptive father shrugged, a casual movement of his shoulders. "We hunted nearby, just enough to last us for the time being. You and Alice should go soon; preferably as soon as possible. The thirstier you are, the more you'll need to hunt, and the bigger the prey too. We can't afford to lose both of you for too long." I nodded my understanding, but didn't say anything; what could I say to that, really? Voicing the fact that I knew we couldn't afford to lose _anyone_ right now didn't help my – our – morale.

_We're sitting in our living room, Alice and Jasper resting against each other, Rosalie and Esme sitting on the bar stools, Emmett and Carlisle leaning on the walls behind their respective wife, and I'm leaning in what appears to be a casual, relaxed manner on the couch. The phone rings, Alice and Esme twitch. I stare at Carlisle, and evenly reach over to pick up the phone. "Hello?"_

I glance over at Alice, who raises her eyebrow at me. Obviously the phone was about to ring; we're positioned exactly in the same way as we were in her vision, but who would be calling us now? Hope stirred in me as I thought of the people responsible for taking my Bella – I'd go along with the pretence of the ransom letter, but I swear, the moment Bella is safe, I'll kill them. Rip them to shreds. _Murder_ them. I feel my incisors lengthening in anticipation just as the phone rings. Turning to look at Carlisle, I reach over and pick up the phone. If my heart could, it would be thumping wildly in my chest.

"Hello?" I try my best to keep my voice even, relaxed, as though nothing was wrong.

"Edward?"

The sudden rush of adrenaline, the feeling of anticipation that built as I waited for Bella's kidnappers to respond, suddenly came crashing down on me as Charlie's voice came through the receiver of the black cordless. "Charlie?"

Through the telephone, I knew him to be rolling his eyes. "Yes, is Bella there? She hasn't come back from shopping with Angela, and she isn't answering her phone. I'm actually quite thankful that you haven't left to go camping yet; I assumed you'd already be gone, but I must admit, I had to try." The relief in his voice nauseated me to the point where I couldn't speak. Knowing my family could hear our conversation, my eyes flitted towards Carlisle for help – how could I tell him that no, she wasn't here? Clearing my throat as it began to tighten, I wordlessly handed the cordless to Carlisle, who'd been reaching over for it, his mouth set in a grim, determined line.

"Charlie?" He was using his doctor voice – the voice he used when he had particularly bad news to tell his patients, or their loved ones. I couldn't meet my family's eyes as Carlisle recounted the story; this was all my fault. I should never have left Bella alone, or I should have at least seen this coming. Bella's ability to attract trouble was infamous within our household, I should have hunted earlier so she could stay with Alice or Esme while I hunted. I should never have let her be so open, so _vulnerable_.

Immediately I felt a soothing peace fall over me, and I relaxed unconsciously. Looking up at Jasper, I scowled, growling low within my chest; if I wanted to feel better about it, I'd ask. Right now, I deserve to wallow in my guilt. It _is_ my fault, this _is_ my punishment.

Jasper, appearing impervious to my anger, remained impassive, but it was Alice who narrowed her eyes at me, pixie-like face twisting into a scowl. "Don't." I directed this at Alice, not Jasper, and she set her jaw and narrowed her eyes even farther, her lips tightened into a thin line.

"Raving lunatic, remember? That also extends to guilt-consumed blindness." Her voice was hard, but I barely cared right now. Bella was gone and I could have done something – _anything_ – to prevent it. Again, I cursed myself for waiting until every last member of our family needed to hunt; after Italy and with Victoria on the loose, I should have known better.

I could hear Charlie on the phone, asking things like 'are you sure?' and 'how do you know?' Good questions, both very hard to explain. We could always say things along the lines of, "Oh, you see Charlie, we're all vampires. And Alice here? Yeah? Well, she sees the future. Pretty cool, huh?" _Somehow_, the words 'insane asylum' would be involved, I know it.

Only just realizing that Carlisle had come up with an excuse while they'd gone hunting, I heard him relay it Charlie over the phone. "Yes, Rosalie saw it earlier. She got out of her car just in time to see Bella – and we think Angela before her – being thrown into one… a truck, I believe, though Rosalie can't be sure. It was rainy, she was tired, you know how these things are…"

Yes, I'm sure he did. We all waited, tense, while Charlie asked if Rosalie was sure it was actually Bella. Why Rosalie? I don't know; probably least likely one to care, and the whole town pretty much knew it. The thought stung, even as it came to me. "That's who we think it was, Charlie, and you _did_ say she wasn't answering her phone…" Carlisle trailed off, his eyes locked on me like they'd been the whole time. Unfortunately, I refused to touch anyone's mind, specifically his and Alice's.

I didn't want support; I didn't deserve support. We needed to find Bella, and that was all that mattered.

After muttering a few more pleasantries, Carlisle hung up and left Charlie to wait for Bella, whom he was still in a small form of denial – though he did agree to keep his grand number of three police men on alert for any signs of her, so I don't know how small his denial was.

"Edward." I looked up into Carlisle's compassionate eyes, unwilling and reluctant, but with little hesitation. I refused to speak, raising my eyebrow at him instead, and he sighed. "Edward, we will find her." I looked away, my face remaining impassive and deadened. I don't know why everyone keeps repeating that – of _course_ we'll find her, what other choice did I have? Bella is my whole life. It's simply the fact of if we'll be too late to find her that kills me – metaphorically, unfortunately.

"Seattle has nothing left for us to find, we need to think of something else, some other method." My voice, even to me, was devoid of emotion, and it sounded alien. I closed my eyes and let the fresh wave of pain overcome me, glad that Jasper wasn't interfering with that; it was something I deserved, something to keep me grounded.

Carlisle got up from his chair and walked over to me, "I think you should hunt first. Especially now, when we have no clues, or a method to tracking her." I started to protest and he raised his hand, "Do you think it will be easier to leave when we have a trail? Do you think you could let us handle things while you hunted?" Closing my mouth, I realized he was right; I needed to leave while we had nothing, because I wouldn't when we were so close to finding her.

Alice got up before me, having already 'seen' my decision, and belatedly, I followed her out the door, still silent. I could feel her giving me furtive glances out of the corner of her eye, but I ignored her, still plotting ways to inflict the most pain on Bella's kidnappers. "Edward," Alice muttered, "Don't do anything stupid." I didn't know what she was referring to, but refrained from touching her mind yet – I didn't want to see the pity, or, in any case, a vision of Bella that might pop up.

It should be my punishment, but I, in my selfishness, could not bear such pain. I had to find Bella before they could even touch her.

Nodding, I allowed myself to follow her lead as we hunted the deer in the park. I was rougher than I usually was with deer, quicker to kill, but more violent and messy – while I usually left no sign of my 'meal', tonight, I had to clean up the gore and spatter as I tore through the carcass, imagining the warmth of the deer as the warmth of that dark haired man who'd first taken my Bella. Alice watched me in silence; her eyes guarded as I fed more and appeared less… human.

The run home became tense, and, if possible, the silence was thicker with suppressed conversation. I was still refusing to hear what she was thinking; adamantly tuning her out – with difficulty, as she was practically shouting her thoughts at me. We were reaching the city limits when we caught the scent and immediately stopped; werewolves. At that, I broadened my mind and caught their combined anger – the pack plural made it obvious that they were still in their wolf form. Moving slightly deeper into the forest, but closer to our territory and not 'dead man's land' – mutual land that neither of the wolves nor we claimed.

One transformed; Jacob, and he walked out of the shadows to greet us. Our quick eyes noticed he was shaking with rage, and one thought was racing through his mind – _Bella_. When he spoke, his voice was thick with emotion and his black eyes were livid, "What happened?" Each word sounded difficult, as though he was trying not to attack us as he spoke, "You were supposed to _protect_ her!"

I spoke calmly, my face without emotion in case I showed the filthy _dog_ how much it hurt to know that she was _my _responsibility. "How did you find out?"

"Charlie." He spat out, his fist shaking with more force now. "Would you have even told us, bloodsucker? Or would we have had to wait and find out eventually?"

Contemplating the idea, "We probably would not have told you," I admitted, "At least not in the beginning; it's not like we're on good terms and you probably wouldn't have extended the same courtesy had our positions been reversed." I held up a hand to stop his protest that we both knew would be a lie. "As to what happened; Bella got kidnapped – we were supposed to be gone hunting and she was to go shopping with Angela in Seattle; believe me, if I had known this would happen, I would never have left her." I could hear my voice grow softer, and I could definitely hear the pain in my voice – shame grew in my heart as I knew that the dog probably heard it too.

Jacob stiffened, and nodded in Alice's direction, "What about her thing – you know, how she sees the future; why couldn't she see Bella being kidnapped?"

"I can only see something specific if it was planned; they obviously were just taking people on random and Angela and Bella happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. There was nothing I could see in time to prevent it." I closed my eyes at that statement.

He tightened his jaw and nodded in my direction now, "And you? What's your excuse?" He asked, rudely, but it was implied – I had no good excuse.

"I was too far away." My voice was faint, my eyes still closed with my pain. I sensed four more wolves on the fringes, the implication was clear; this was Jacob's confrontation, but he was not alone.

"Seems to be a bit of a recurring habit now, doesn't it?" He sneered, his voice cruel, but nothing less than I deserved. "You _promised_. You promised you'd take care of her! Not three months and she's already in danger! I should have _known_; parasites never keep their word. We're watching you, bloodsuckers." There it was again; pack plural. "If we find her first; she's never seeing you again. And you stay the hell away from her!"

He quickly morphed and ran through the trees, his pack members following him. My eyes still closed as I contemplated what he said; could I take it if the dogs found her first? I told myself yes, that as long as she was safe, it wouldn't matter if I never saw her; that it was probably better that way. But in my heart I knew that would never happen; that I would definitely never give up on her – the pack would never find a place on this earth to hide her from me.

Turning back to Alice, I quietly murmured, "Let's head home. Carlisle will want to know about this newest complication."

* * *

More of a filler than anything, and not very exciting. But at least it's up, and longer than the last chapter by like, two sentences! –fangirl voice– oh.em.gee! Anyway, next chapter will be much more exciting:

**Coming up next:  
**Bella's point of view – Bella and Angela meet their kidnappers and talk about their loves. I'd say T-rated; nothing M for awhile yet… or is there? –giggles– sorry, it's late, I'm tired.

Reviews last chapter disappointed me; a few less. Well not disappointed really. Thanks to my dedicated ones :D I love the following people muchly:

steffi32692  
dark-star.mystery  
sweetkyo  
xxRosesxx  
Gabriel Wolfe  
Pixie-dancer  
kingdom-hearts-fan-no1  
Mrs. Isabella Cullen  
Ashyx  
Anime-Queen-2011  
xxedwardcullenloverxx  
ToriCullen  
Ellanara  
tamponlovesedward1848 -- **by the way, I love your name ;  
**Word Nazi -- **your name is awesome too :)**

Don't let it steadily decline if you want fast updates. That's all I have to say. I can honestly tell you all that I'm very review-motivated. ... but I can also tell you that I love writing this, and if I only had the time, I'd update every day. Unfortunately, life catches me up quite often.

Still, thanks for following this thus far.

Bonnie -xx-


	4. Chp 3 0700 Hours Missing

Blanket Disclaimer Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse are not mine; they belong solely to Stephanie Meyer and her publishing company

**Blanket Disclaimer** Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse are not mine; they belong solely to Stephanie Meyer and her publishing company. I don't even own the idea for this story; I am simply expanding on Stephanie's brilliant work. Nor am I profiting monetarily for the creation of this story. That being said, Edward Cullen and Jasper Whitlock are my addictions. Oh, along with James Potter, but that's in the wrong category here :)

**Blanket Warning** Later chapters will be rated **M** for obvious reasons; (self) abuse, the want/need to hurt/kill and angst. If this is inappropriate for some readers because of their age and/or mentality, you have been warned.

Flames are fine; if they're warranted, I'll take it into account and try to improve. If they're unwarranted, I will mock you… publicly if I'm in a sardonic mood. You have been warned about that, too.

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**Chapter Three – 07.00 Hours Missing  
**_Bella's point of view_

* * *

I trembled, tears welling in my eyes for the countless time within the past hour. After his initial greeting, my cell phone had gone off and I knew someone was calling me – the man had said Charlie's name, and I knew my father was worried that we'd not come home yet. The man had walked away, taking my cell phone and my purse completely, as well as searching Angela for her cell (which he took and stuffed into his pocket). When he left, I sighed – Charlie was looking for me, Charlie would know something had gone wrong. Edward was already hunting, of that I'm sure, but would they be far enough away that Alice wouldn't see me being kidnapped?

I couldn't count on them, not knowing whether or not they even knew I was gone. Right now, our only hope was Charlie… not that I didn't love my father or not, but we had little chance of being rescued quickly then – what with Forks' poor technological advancement in the police department and the enormously trained (insert sarcastic laugh here) three men at Charlie's disposal. My father could barely operate a cell phone, let alone rescue us. We were doomed until Edward got back.

I choked back a sob as I thought of all the things they could do to us over the time span of two days, and then again over the time it took for the Cullens to find us. The trail would be long gone by then – if there was one – and I had no idea what they'd do with my cell. Even with the knowledge of the Cullen's supernatural abilities, I doubted they'd find me now.

Glancing at Angela, it looked like she thought we were doomed too, and who could blame her? Our situation looked hopeless. "A-Angela?" I whispered, my voice quivering. She looked tearfully at me from our positions across from each other, her lips pursed as she tried to reign in the tears. "What d-do you think they're going to d-do with us?"

The tears flowed freely then, as though I'd asked the same question she'd been thinking over and over again. "I-I don't know…" she whispered, her voice mangled with fear and tears. "Do y-you think anyone'll even find us at all?"

"Edward will." I spoke, injecting confidence into those three syllables. Of course Edward would _find_ us – it was _how_ he'd find us that worried me. Dead, of that I was sure, but would we be battered and broken? A tear spilled over and trailed its way down my cheek as I thought of him finding my body, half-naked and blood-soaked. Would he go back to Italy? I couldn't bear the thought of Edward asking to die again; Edward had to go on living, forever, even if I couldn't.

"Y-you sound so sure of that." Angela whispered again, as though terrified they'd come out and kill us if we spoke too loud. My heart went out to her; I suppose the only thing that kept me from truly being scared out of my mind was the knowledge that the Cullens were vampires; extraordinarily strong, skilled vampires, and the small, minute hope that they would find us before we died. Angela didn't even have that.

"I am." My own voice was barely louder than hers, but I didn't stutter when I said _that_. I had to put faith in Alice, in Edward. Another tear made its way down my cheek again as I mentally said his name; "I didn't even get to say goodbye." I wasn't even aware that I'd said that out loud until I heard my voice, raspy and broken, saying it.

Angela looked up into my eyes again and shook her head, "N-neither did I-I. I thought I'd g-get to call B-Ben later and t-talk to him – b-but I guess I won't n-now." The tears overwhelmed her and forced her to close her eyes; her cheeks were nearly completely wet – and I'm sure mine looked similar.

"You'll get another chance, Angie. You will." My voice was now quieter than hers; I wasn't sure if I was telling her the truth or not, but it looked like she needed to hear something along those lines. I was convincing myself as much as I was her.

She burst into tears, her sobs heart-wrenching. Shaking her head, Angela reached a hand out to me, and I took it, squeezing silently. What else could I do? My own goodbye to Edward wasn't supposed to be a goodbye for forever; just one to last me until the weekend was up. Would I even get to see him again? I felt my own tears fall faster, and I choked back a sob, closing my eyes and scrunching myself up into a little ball to stop the pain from overwhelming me.

"What do you think he's doing?" Angela said, her voice suddenly sure, though not louder. Who? Edward? "Ben," she clarified, as though I'd asked out loud, though I was sure I hadn't. "Do you think he's ok?"

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak anymore. Of course _Ben_ was ok; he didn't come to Seattle, didn't get caught up in this. He was probably at home, watching TV or playing on his new Wii, waiting for Angela to come home so he could tell her all about his typical, _safe_ day. My throat tightened; why did we have to choose today, of all days, to go out? Was it all my fault for pushing today, rather than tomorrow, as Angela had originally intended? I hadn't meant to put us through all this, but Edward had to leave again and I couldn't _bear_ to be alone for a long stretch of time. _I_ had put us in the position to be here – I was truly a selfish monster. "I'm so sorry, Angela," I whispered, my voice tight. I squeezed our still-intertwined hands. "I'm so, so sorry."

"For what?" She sounded honestly confused, and I sniffled.

"For making us go _today_. If it hadn't been for me… you'd be at home today, with Ben. Not stuck here, not knowing what's going to happen to us. I'm so, so sorry." I repeated, the tears welling up again.

Angela was shaking her head softly, wiping her cheeks with her free hand. "No, Bella. This isn't your fault; this is just us being in the wrong place, at the wrong time."

"Yeah, story of my life," I muttered darkly underneath my breath, unsure if she'd even heard me at all or not.

"What do you think our parents are doing right now?" Angela spoke up suddenly in the silence that had followed.

I shrugged, "I can't see what time it is; my watch's on my wrist and-" I shrugged as if to say, 'I'm rather tied up at the moment', "-I can't get to it." I finished lamely, staring down at my ankles. "Charlie gets home at around five o'clock, usually, so it must be after that!" Perking up slightly, I looked at Angela expectantly, wanting something to talk about that wasn't a huge depressant – I don't think I can bear another silence, "We can just assume that it's about five and go from there."

Angela nodded, not appearing to experience actual joy or excitement, but glad that this new 'project' gave us something to think about that didn't involve their situation… at least not to a huge extent. "My mother would be preparing dinner," She said quietly, "I think tonight we were going to have hamburgers and coleslaw, so she'll be adding spices to the meat before frying it. My brother will probably be whining about how hungry he is," I watched as the corners of her mouth twitched at some memory, "and my father will probably be just coming home too; he'll go straight to his office and get himself something to drink. Probably brandy or whisky or some other disgusting drink." Angela gazed up at me, "You?"

"Well, if I know Renée, then her and Phil will be serving up some takeout – but not for another few hours; they never eat early. Charlie will just be getting home," My throat tightened at the mention of Charlie's name, and I struggled to get my next sentence out, "He'll be sitting on the couch, turning on the game and yelling at me to know what's for dinner." My eyes watered; would I ever see them again? I don't think I ever realized exactly how much I missed my mother until I realized I may never see her again. I would certainly never take her for granted after this, sometimes-annoying childish personality and all.

I could feel my lips trembling and fought even harder against the surge of depression and pain that had clawed itself into my heart; the wound that I thought had been fully healed over when Edward came back opened up, tearing at me, at my emotions, with an intense fervour. Sniffling, I wiped at my drenched cheeks, desperate to stop the tears and to remove any evidence of them – I would not sit here and cry my heart out; I would do something worthwhile; there had to be _something_ I could do to get us out of here, slim though it might be. Another quick survey of the room told me there was nothing, at least not while I was in _this_ room.

The door slammed open and we both jumped in terror, instinctively moving closer to each other as though the other could offer up a slim chance of protection. Whatever our reason, I knew everyone had the same idea imprinted on their subconscious – safety in numbers. A man – not the same one who'd greeted us upon our arrival and stole our phones – swaggered into the room, his shaved head looking around the room before his gaze finally rested on our scrunched up forms. Behind him, a younger, dark-haired man followed him in.

"Well, well, David. I told you they wouldn't be sleeping." The bald one announced, grinning back at his friend, who shrugged, not appearing to care what we were doing. "They usually don't." He smirked at me, as though he were dishing out some private information and I wasn't to take it lightly. Beside me, I heard Angela whimper at the almost predatory way he looked over us. Fighting back the bile that had risen in the back of my throat, I squeezed Angela's hand one more time.

The younger man, David, I supposed, ventured further into our hellhole and shut the door behind him, effectively decreasing the light that we had. In the dimmer atmosphere, they looked almost surreal – like phantoms, or monsters raised from our own personal hell, though I guessed that in any other situation the younger one, David, would have looked attractive. "Whatever, man." David rolled his eyes, and shoved his hands into the pockets of his black leather jacket.

Moving with the grace of a trained predator – reminding me distinctly of one of those hyenas on the Discovery Channel, with his toothy grin and bushy eyebrows – the older one moved down to us and crouched, bringing his face within inches of Angela's. I felt her stiffen next to me, and I know he must have caught her movement because his grin grew exponentially. "Now, now, pet," He grinned, reaching up with one of his hands to touch her face; she whimpered again and turned her cheek away, desperate to get him off her but too scared to actually crawl away. "I like this one," He commented, turning to David as he ran a finger alone the contours of Angela's jaw. His eyes swivelled back to her face, appraising her.

Tears ran down her face more frequently now, and I could feel her sobs shake her body. "Leave her alone," I whispered, terrified, "Please." My hands shook, but I reached over with my free hand and pulled Angela closer to me, farther away from him.

I blanched under his gaze as he turned to face me; why had I spoken again? I should be trying to hide, not attract his attention – how dumb could I get? Edward was right; I truly had no sense of self-preservation. And yet... Angela was terrified. Her fear, was mine, and we were both scared to death of the creepy man in front of us. The man edged closer to me, laughing – the sound coming in quick, sharp succession, ringing in the room.

"She has spunk; that could be entertaining to watch. You feel up to breaking her in, David?" It was said casually, but the meaning behind the words sent a stab of fear through my heart, and, if possible, Angela stiffened even more at his implication. _Breaking her in_?

David eyed me carefully, a smirk slowly forming on his face. "I'll enjoy every minute of it."

* * *

**Oh – dear – sweet – Jesus. Sorry guys, I really didn't mean to take so long on the update! Can you say 'extreme writer's block'? Plus, its summer time baby! I truly am sorry, guys. Can you ever forgive me? I just couldn't find the inspiration to write the chapter! It just wouldn't come! I'll try and be better, my lambs.**

**Bonnie -xx-**


	5. Bonnie's Note to All Her Lovelies

Hello my pretties! Before you throw the rotten vegetables and boo me off your screens, please, please, _please _let me explain!

I know authors notes are banned on this site, but I'm afraid I REALLY need to explain myself. I _will_ continue this story: in fact, I'll hopefully have the next chapter up by the **end of next week**. The reason I haven't been writing the story is that my laptop completely died on itself and I couldn't get a new one. Secondly, I moved countries since the last chapter, and since then, I've moved into two different houses. It's all just been havoc, really. I haven't had internet for a few months, I've been completing my senior year in High School.. it's all just been one big mess. Please don't kill me, I'm just trying to get my life in order!

I've lost all my plans for this story and all the chapters I'd written for it when my computer died, but I **will** try and regroup and get a new chapter up by next Friday. .promise!

I'm so sorry, my lovelies. Please don't hate me!  
You know you love your Bonnie -looks adorable-


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